How many days will you have? I recommend (if you are renting a car) driving up to Qualicum Falls (and be sure to stop in Coombs...the weirdest town in Canada by my approximation). OR you can ferry to the gulf islands--I can recommend B&Bs on both Salt Spring and Pender. Or you can drive or take the bus all the way up to Tofino (presuming you have time!) which is just stunning. From Victoria, you can bus (or drive) out to Sooke/Jordan River (beaches! Lots of them!) and hike around the Sooke potholes. Information overload! There is so much to do. If you prefer to stay in Victoria there is good hiking at Goldstream Park, and even just wandering around Beacon Hill Park and along Dallas Road (off-leash dog run along the ocean! I like to go dog-watching).

If you want a really special nature experience and can afford it, a couple of weeks ago my boyfriend's sister had a wedding at Point No Point (which is, as it sounds, in the middle of nowhere on the water between Sooke and Jordan River) and we rented a cabin. It was unreal. No phones, TVs, service or anything. Just gazillions of trails and crashing waves.

I'll be living in Victoria in mid-May. Let's meet up! Sorry I'm just spouting out a million names of places that probably don't mean anything to you yet. I'm happy to clarify! I feel like I recommended pricier things. I have plenty ideas for on a budget too.

I love you enthusiasm! This week I should find out how many days I'll have - my guess is either 3 or 7. Point No Point sounds like my kind of place but I'm a grad student, so budget adventures are good (...better) to know about, too. The conference itself is 17-20 May, and I'd love to meet up while I'm there! Before the conference is probably better than during, but I might be able to swing something then, too.

If you'd like to take this somewhere more interactive (some kind of chat-place or Skype), let me know. Also, wow! Thanks.

I am interested in budget accomodation options in Victoria. It's only for one night so after reading this thread we might just do a regular hotel without breakfast and head over to Shine Cafe. If they say tofu under omelette, does that mean tofu omelettes are possible, or is it an egg-based omelette with tofu? I should just ask once there... We'll be on Vancouver Island early/mid June. Also, yay, we can eat tamales upon returning from Hone Lake Caves!

Road trip! We always stop in Parksville to go mini-golfing on the way back from camping at Qualicum Falls. It excites me to no end that we can also pick up tamales.

!!!! That is like less than half an hour away from my house! We also go camping over there - (Rathtrevor, usually, but probably Qualicum Falls sometime soon, since I've never gone and my partner likes it!) We are totally going through Parksville on the long weekend on our way to go camping up by Campbell River... I wonder if it will be open? Thanks for the heads up!

_________________when you realise how perfect everything is, you will tilt you head back and laugh at the sky. -buddha

Qualicum falls is amazing! Reserve a site in advance and get one by the lower falls! My favourite camping site ever is right by the lower bridge. Just don't steal it when we go. :)

m.iau, if you want really budget, you could stay at the Ocean Island Backpackers Inn. I've stayed there heaps of time on the occasions where I didn't live in the city but was taking a course/had other stuff to do. It's a block from Shine Cafe. I usually get a private room, which is very barebones, just a bed and a window/mini-fridge with shared bathrooms, but the private rooms are on the third and fourth floors so they are quiet, and clean. http://oceanisland.com/

If you want something with more amenities, I've stayed at both Paul's Motor Inn and the Travelodge on Douglas. They are motels (Travelodge is slightly nicer/more of a hotel/has a pool), but they are clean and I've never had any complaints. They're not that much more expensive than the hostel, and are both very close to Shine. You could also consider Mo:Le for breakfast. These places are all within blocks of each other.

I've never stayed anywhere in Vic above that price bracket except for B&Bs, which are a nice treat, but not budget!

They don't do tofu omelettes, unfortunately. Just the vegan multi-item breakfast option, but it is really good.

Qualicum falls is amazing! Reserve a site in advance and get one by the lower falls! My favourite camping site ever is right by the lower bridge. Just don't steal it when we go. :)

m.iau, if you want really budget, you could stay at the Ocean Island Backpackers Inn. I've stayed there heaps of time on the occasions where I didn't live in the city but was taking a course/had other stuff to do. It's a block from Shine Cafe. I usually get a private room, which is very barebones, just a bed and a window/mini-fridge with shared bathrooms, but the private rooms are on the third and fourth floors so they are quiet, and clean. http://oceanisland.com/

If you want something with more amenities, I've stayed at both Paul's Motor Inn and the Travelodge on Douglas. They are motels (Travelodge is slightly nicer/more of a hotel/has a pool), but they are clean and I've never had any complaints. They're not that much more expensive than the hostel, and are both very close to Shine. You could also consider Mo:Le for breakfast. These places are all within blocks of each other.

I've never stayed anywhere in Vic above that price bracket except for B&Bs, which are a nice treat, but not budget!

They don't do tofu omelettes, unfortunately. Just the vegan multi-item breakfast option, but it is really good.

Thank you! We chose a travelodge. I can live without the tofu omelette if I can have the other brunch options. Maybe yam wraps for later, I'll check out Mo:Le.

Oh and you should probably have brunch/lunch at Mo:Le. If you go to Lotus Pond (vegan Buddhist cuisine) from 2pm till three, it's 50% off. I mention this because as you've surely noticed, food is insanely expensive up here. Skip Green Cuisine. Recommended: Cafe Ceylon, Sen Zushi, Rebar (kind of overpriced and touristy but I still love it), the Blue Nile (great Ethiopian buffet with at least 50% vegan stuff), Le Petit Saigon, Pink Bicycle, Shine Cafe, etc. Spinnakers is a fun brew pub even though they don't have many vegan food items. The Mint is good for late-night. The joint for pizza/calzones. Solstice cafe for coffee and good vegan baked goods/soups/sandwiches.

Ummm...there's more.

Hernande'z is great too, but you live in Southern California so you didn't come to Canada for Mexican food. If you have the time/desire, get inked at Tattoo Zoo with vegan inks by Sarah Kramer's husband Gerry. He's amazing.

Hey everyone! I'm going to be in Victoria from May 29th-July 2nd for Moksha Yoga teacher training. I'm going to be pretty busy from June 1st -30th, with only three days off from training during that time span. But I'd love to check out some good Victoria eats on the days I have off :). I looked on Happy Cow - what are people's thoughts on Cafe Bliss? Thanks guys :)

Cafe Bliss is expensive, but if you're into raw food, it's good stuff. It's also steps from Moksha (like, beside it), as you probably know! Also super nearby are Mo:Le (amazing vegan Caesar salad), Green Cuisine (meh vegan buffet but relatively inexpensive), Lotus Pond (vegan Chinese--the buffet is cheapish), Solstice Cafe (across the street from Moksha...their soups are always vegan and they have vegan muffins and other baked goods). Have fun! I did YTT several years ago and loved it (not at Moksha, but Moksha is a beautiful space!).

VeganMeredith, if you go to Lotus Pond at precisely 2:30 the buffet is half-price. There will probably be a long line up and you may lose your faith in humanity, but you will also get a massive plate of food for about $5!

And you're still downtown, so everything is about a 10 minute walk away. You can also get calzones at the Joint! (Oh how I miss calzones). And treat yourself to a gourmet burger at the Pink Bicycle.

And there's a cafe just around the corner from Moksha that has lovely coffee and a couple of vegan treats plus they bake their own bread. And I think there's a taco place in Cook St Village.